I was delighted to attend a follow up meeting with local highways leaders and councillors on a recent Friday about the serious safety concerns relating to the Oakley Road/Lewin Road roundabout. A comprehensive traffic survey has now been carried out detailing more than 98,000 vehicles. As a result of this data, the subsequent recommendations will support residents’ calls, which I fully support, for immediate new chevrons and improved lane markings to slow traffic, followed by a barrier (known as a Vehicle Restraint System) in due course. It is very welcome news that this is now in the council’s proposed programme of works, and the campaign now turns to keeping the pressure up to get the scheme delivered ASAP.
With that in mind, whilst the lining and chevrons are to be delivered straight away, I shall explore what additional funding might be available for this essential project with my ministerial colleagues in the Department for Transport, with a view to trying to get this delivered sooner. I have also asked the council to look carefully at whether this project could be delivered utilising developer contributions from new housing in the local area. We must explore every possible angle to get this done.
I am particularly grateful to the residents of Pound Close and the surrounding area for raising this extremely important safety issue and am delighted to continue to support them to make this Corby junction safer for everyone who uses it, working on a cross-party basis as we have successfully to date. As soon as I have further updates, I will be sure to share them here.